antitryptic
|an-ti-tryp-tic|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈtrɪp.tɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪˈtrɪp.tɪk/
against or resistant to trypsin
Etymology
'antitryptic' is formed in modern English by the prefix 'anti-' (meaning 'against') combined with 'tryptic' (relating to trypsin, the proteolytic enzyme).
'trypsin' comes from New Latin/modern scientific coinage 'trypsinum', ultimately from Greek trýpsis (τρύψις) meaning 'rubbing' or 'friction' (used metaphorically for proteolytic action); the adjective 'tryptic' (relating to trypsin) was combined with 'anti-' to create 'antitryptic' in scientific usage.
Originally constructed to mean 'against or counteracting trypsin,' the term has been used both for substances that inhibit trypsin and for materials that are resistant to tryptic digestion; this dual sense has persisted in specialized contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance that inhibits or counteracts the activity of trypsin (a trypsin inhibitor) or a substance exhibiting antitryptic properties.
The extract contained antitryptics that reduced trypsin activity in the assay.
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Adjective 1
resistant to digestion or proteolytic cleavage by the enzyme trypsin; not readily broken down by trypsin.
Some milk proteins are antitryptic and therefore resist degradation by digestive enzymes.
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Last updated: 2025/09/11 20:13